364 COCOA 



CHAP. 



the name " Cacao Cayenne," a designation which does 

 not seem appropriate in any way. 



In the plain, with its alluvial soil, irrigation is 

 considered indispensable, and during the dry season the 

 young plants must be watered every week. For this 

 purpose trenches are made at distances of 20 or 25 feet. 

 From these trenches the young trees are watered by 

 hand, the irrigation by imbibition not being sufficient. 

 When the trees get older they may be watered less 

 frequently, for instance about once every month when 

 they are seven or eight years old. 



In the second or third year the drainage is laid out 

 and the trenches are dug at distances varying from 25 

 to 50 feet, according to the character of the soil and 

 the humidity of the place. 



For manuring, the best results have been obtained 

 with pen-manure; cotton-seed cake has also been applied 

 with success. Artificial manures containing phosphoric 

 acid and potassium had no appreciable effect ; the 

 application of lime, however, seemed to be useful. 



Of the enemies the borer (probably Steirastoma 

 depressum) and the rats are the worst. The intro- 

 duction of the mongoose, which has resulted in other 

 islands in a great failure, has met in Guadeloupe with 

 success, according to Guerin (1896). 



Martinique 



In the seventeenth century the cocoa-tree was im- 

 ported into Martinique. It is told that in 1 661 the first 

 plants were brought from the continent by Benjamin 

 Dacosta. 



By the end of the eighteenth century the cocoa 

 industry had become important. The area in cocoa con- 

 tained about 1-| million trees; and at that time 

 Martinique, together with San Domingo, produced 

 almost the whole of the cocoa consumed in France. 



After that time, however, there was a decline, a 

 great part of the area being replanted with sugar cane. 



